| 1 | 1 | | By: Zwiener H.B. No. 57 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to climate change planning and reporting. |
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| 7 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 8 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Health and Safety Code, is |
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| 9 | 9 | | amended by adding Chapter 396 to read as follows: |
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| 10 | 10 | | CHAPTER 396. CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING AND REPORTING |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 396.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on |
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| 13 | 13 | | Environmental Quality. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (2) "Office" means the office of the state |
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| 15 | 15 | | climatologist. |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 396.0002. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT REPORT. (a) Not later |
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| 17 | 17 | | than June 1, 2024, and before the end of each successive four-year |
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| 18 | 18 | | period after that date, the commission and the office shall prepare |
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| 19 | 19 | | a report on the potential impact of climate change in this state. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (b) The report required by this section must include |
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| 21 | 21 | | information regarding: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) scientific predictions regarding changes in |
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| 23 | 23 | | temperature and precipitation patterns and amounts in this state |
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| 24 | 24 | | that could result from climate change; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) the potential impact of climate change on: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) human health; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (B) the economy and the management of economic |
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| 28 | 28 | | risk; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (C) infrastructure; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (D) surface water and groundwater; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (E) emergency preparedness; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (F) state and local government finances; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (G) forests, wildlife, and fisheries; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (H) agriculture; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (I) recreation and tourism; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) significant uncertainties about climate change; |
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| 37 | 37 | | and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (4) economic opportunities created by the potential |
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| 39 | 39 | | need for: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (A) alternative sources of energy; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (B) climate-related technologies, services, and |
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| 42 | 42 | | strategies; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (C) carbon sequestration technologies; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (D) technologies for the capture and utilization |
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| 45 | 45 | | of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions or other mitigation |
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| 46 | 46 | | strategies. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) In preparing the report required by this section, the |
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| 48 | 48 | | commission and the office may consult with other state or federal |
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| 49 | 49 | | agencies or academic institutions, as appropriate. The report |
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| 50 | 50 | | shall reflect any diversity of views within the scientific |
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| 51 | 51 | | community and among the entities consulted by the commission and |
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| 52 | 52 | | the office. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (d) The commission and the office shall make the report |
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| 54 | 54 | | required by this section available to the public in print and on the |
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| 55 | 55 | | commission's Internet website. |
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| 56 | 56 | | Sec. 396.0003. GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY. (a) The |
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| 57 | 57 | | commission and the office shall annually compile an inventory of |
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| 58 | 58 | | greenhouse gases emitted in this state by all sources. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (b) The inventory required by this section must establish: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (1) a baseline of greenhouse gas emissions to be used |
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| 61 | 61 | | to project future greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of |
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| 62 | 62 | | governmental intervention; |
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| 63 | 63 | | (2) greenhouse gas emission trends; and |
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| 64 | 64 | | (3) the relative contributions of major sectors, |
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| 65 | 65 | | including the transportation, electricity generation, industrial, |
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| 66 | 66 | | commercial, mineral and natural resources, alternative fuel, |
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| 67 | 67 | | agricultural, and domestic sectors. |
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| 68 | 68 | | Sec. 396.0004. CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN. (a) Not later |
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| 69 | 69 | | than December 1, 2024, and before the end of each successive |
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| 70 | 70 | | four-year period after that date, the commission and the office |
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| 71 | 71 | | shall create a climate change action plan. |
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| 72 | 72 | | (b) The climate change action plan required by this section |
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| 73 | 73 | | shall: |
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| 74 | 74 | | (1) include the information gathered as part of the |
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| 75 | 75 | | greenhouse gas inventory described by Section 396.0003; |
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| 76 | 76 | | (2) evaluate cost-effective strategies for reducing |
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| 77 | 77 | | or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, including the costs, |
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| 78 | 78 | | benefits, and co-benefits of those strategies, and how those |
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| 79 | 79 | | strategies impact the capability of meeting future energy demands; |
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| 80 | 80 | | (3) identify areas of disagreement regarding |
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| 81 | 81 | | strategies covered by the plan; and |
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| 82 | 82 | | (4) recommend legislative changes necessary to |
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| 83 | 83 | | implement the plan. |
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| 84 | 84 | | (c) The commission and the office shall deliver the climate |
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| 85 | 85 | | action plan required by this section to the relevant standing |
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| 86 | 86 | | committees of the senate and the house of representatives and make |
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| 87 | 87 | | the plan available to the public in print and on the commission's |
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| 88 | 88 | | Internet website. |
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| 89 | 89 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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